


Special Gifts

by STARSdidathing



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Asgardian Culture (Marvel), Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Courting Rituals, Courtship, Developing Relationship, Feel-good, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gift Giving, Good Loki (Marvel), Happy, Loki & Tony Stark Friendship, M/M, Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Oblivious Tony Stark, Post-Avengers (2012), Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unspecified Setting, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000, Yule
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-23 23:38:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17089889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/STARSdidathing/pseuds/STARSdidathing
Summary: It isn't Christmas yet, but Tony is gaining unusual gifts.





	Special Gifts

**Author's Note:**

> I PROMISE I'M GOING TO SLOW DOWN MY POSTING UM. FOR A WHILE. AT LEAST? ACK. TOO MANY FICS NEEDING SPECIFIC POSTING DATES! ^^''' I KNOW YOU PROBABLY DON'T MIND BUT JUST, SO MANY. I NEED TO STOP XD
> 
> Also, happy holidays! Enjoy my first 'Christmas' fic! :D

Loki was an interesting friend to have; he played pranks on you, he scathingly insulted you, he expected your full and undivided attention when he wanted something, and he was viciously possessive of you like you were a treasured possession.

They were all things Tony could handle. Hell, he _liked_ being involved in a prank war or ‘flyting’ with Loki. He liked giving Loki his attention since it would normally end with something fascinating - he also knew that Loki would return the focus just as intently if _Tony_ asked for it. And, Tony could be possessive of his friends too. He understood the reasons behind it, so it was fine. Tony was more than happy being Loki’s friend. Loki was great. Tony couldn’t understand why half of the Earth heroes didn’t like him.

Okay, there was that initial invasion and the fact he was a right asshole to people he didn’t like or respect, but really, minor things! Loki was cleared of all charges due to mind-control and he was a great guy if you took the time to get around his defences and get to know him. 

Honestly, the rest of the team were the ones who were missing out.

And, case in point; Tony had been friends with Loki for two years now and he'd never regretted it once. He’d even reached a new level of friendship with the mage.

Loki’s first Christmas in the tower, he hadn’t come out on Christmas morning. Tony had needed to knock on his door and then drag him upstairs to partake in the festivities and open his presents. Loki had eyed his gifts with shock, wariness and eventually surprised pleasure. 

Tony, Rhodey, Thor and Peter had been the only people to give Loki something, but he’d been incredibly touched by their gestures. He responded by warding Tony, Rhodey and Peter’s suits with spells of protection. His brother, of course, he merely rolled his eyes at, but he let Thor hug him. It seemed to be a victory in and of itself for the Thunderer. 

It was now Loki’s second year on Earth and while Tony knew that Loki had gained gifts for Rhodey, Peter, Thor and himself, there was something else happening as well. 

Well, to him. _Specifically._

It started on the twenty-first. He was going about his usual morning routine and stepped into his kitchen to get a coffee when he came up short at finding a brightly wrapped gift on his bar.

“J?” he asked.

“A gift, Sir, from Mr Liesmith.”

Tony instantly brightened and forwent his coffee to step over to it. “Why didn’t he give it himself? Why is there a present? It’s not Christmas yet, is it? I didn’t oversleep, did I?”

“No, Sir,” JARVIS drawled, “you did not sleep longer than seven hours. Christmas is not for another four days.”

Tony still felt confused, but decided to dismiss it to focus on the gift. It was wrapped in bright purple and pink cellophane and was tied with a blue ribbon. The gaudy colours made him chuckle and he searched around for a card, but couldn’t find anything. The item was shaped not unlike a large basket and Tony gleefully undid the string and pulled back the layers of cellophane to see what was inside.

He didn’t expect to find a miniature cauldron filled with five thick piles of incense sticks tied with brown string. Tony blinked and pulled out one of them and sniffed it. They smelt... really good actually. It was sharp and spicy with a hint of fruit that he couldn’t place. There were others notes he’d never encountered before. It smelt, quite literally, _otherworldly_. 

It also didn’t look mass-produced. These sticks looked hand ground. They might even be made by Loki. Tony already knew that almost everything the mage used in his spells was handpicked and handmade by him.

Still, _incense_ wasn’t exactly Tony’s thing, but Loki had gifted it to him. He’d never turn down a nice gesture from Loki. 

Picking up the other bundles, Tony gave them each a sniff, finding five different distinct scents and all of them smelling really nice. 

“Hey J, do I own an incense burner?”

“I believe the pot included in your gift would serve that purpose.”

Turning it around, Tony noticed the spot designed to hold and burn the incense. “Hah! Cool.”

Laying down the various bundles, he pulled a stick out of the first one and stuck it inside the cauldron. He then had to go hunting for a lighter. He also got side-tracked by making his coffee followed by a notification about a completed test that he’d been running in the lab. But, he grabbed his cauldron and a bundle of the sticks and carried them down with him.

He cleared a small space in the lab where the cauldron would be safe and far enough away that Dum-E wouldn’t spray it with a fire extinguisher. He then placed the incense down beside it and lit the one in the cauldron. The scent drifted into the air and made Tony smile. He patted the little cauldron and made a mental note to thank Loki for his surprise gift.

It had certainly put a spring in Tony’s step, and brightened his day.

* * *

He didn’t see Loki for the rest of the day, which wasn’t surprising considering Tony spent the entire time inside his lab. 

He only realised that he hadn’t thanked Loki for the gift when he was walking past his kitchen on his way to bed. It was late evening and he cursed. His incense stick had long burned out in the lab and then he’d forgotten all about it, too distracted by science. He told JARVIS to remind him the following morning and climbed into bed.

Tony knew he should have showered first but he was _exhausted_. He could bathe tomorrow.

That was his plan at least; sleep, drink coffee, shower, go find Loki and thank him. (Maybe drag him down to the lab for some quality science-magic binging too.)

The moment he woke up however, things took a turn for the unexpected.

“Sir,” JARVIS began once he stirred, not giving the standard greeting of time, weather, and any other relevant information. He went straight to the point. “Another gift has arrived from Mr Liesmith.”

Tony blearily opened his eyes, but it only took him a few moments to notice the basket at the end of his bed.

He stared at it for a long moment. 

“Did he sneak into my room?” Tony asked, his voice rough. He sat up and ran a hand over his face.

“No, Sir. The basket appeared through magic, but the energy signature is a match for Mr Liesmith.”

Sitting up further, Tony reached for the basket and dragged it closer. There were little green bottles with cork tops. When he picked one up, he recognised Loki’s elegant scrawl. _Lavender and honey._ Another said _sandlewood and ashkrer root (calming)_. 

“What the fuck is ashkrer root?” 

“There is no known substance on Earth, Mr Stark.”

Curiously, Tony uncorked the second bottle and had a sniff. It was nice, whatever it was, and probably wasn’t toxic. He also had a fairly good idea, based off what Pepper used to buy, that these were essential oils. Probably hand-extracted too, knowing Loki.

He placed the two bottles back and looked over the other items in the basket. Specifically, candles. _Lots_ of candles of all different shapes and sizes. They were ivory, green and red. The green ones made Tony smile and shake his head.

_Of course he can’t resist gifting green candles._

“J? Is Loki in his rooms?”

“No, Sir. Mr Liesmith left this morning, not long after the arrival of his gift.”

Tony frowned, feeling a hint of guilt. Was that because he hadn’t thanked Loki yesterday?

“Damn. Okay, when he comes back, let me know. I don’t care what I’m doing. I owe him a thank you.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Looking down at the strange gift basket, Tony made a decision. He picked up the basket and carried it to his bathroom. 

Pepper had always advocated candlelit baths with essential oils were relaxing. It wasn’t usually his thing, but Loki had given him the gifts. It would be rude not to use them.

He sat down the basket beside the bath, pulling out four candles and the honey and lavender oil. This was going to be one of the most self-indulgent things he’d done in a while. Hopefully he wouldn’t get too bored.

“J; put on my classical playlist, dim the lights and hold my calls.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Tony smiled as he let the water fill the tub and rearranged the bath for a long, luxurious soak. Trust Loki to offer something unexpected that turned out to be exactly what he wanted.

* * *

Tony was disappointed when Loki didn’t show up all day. 

Tony had felt relaxed throughout the day. He’d smelt nice too. He’d wanted to thank Loki and ask some questions about the strange ingredients he’d listed on the bottles. But, the mage was a no show. He went to bed with disappointment and the hope that wherever he’d gone, Loki would be returning the next day.

Loki didn’t appear all morning, but something _else_ appeared. Tony walked out into his living room and found them on his coffee table.

Potted herbs. 

It was not only confusing but it made Tony feel the first stirrings of suspicion.

“Loki again?” he asked JARVIS.

“Yes, Sir.”

“And he’s still not in the tower?”

“No, Sir.”

“He knows that it’s not Christmas, right? And that I’m not a cook or a mage?”

“Mr Liesmith has sustained no amnesia that I am aware of,” JARVIS drawled.

Tony sent the nearest camera a dirty look, but otherwise didn’t respond. He walked over to the herbs. A few of them he could name, others JARVIS could analyse and tell him. Some were complete mysteries. Apparently, he'd gained off-world herbs too. 

The pots they came in looked like some kind of concrete or metal. They looked a little bit like the night sky and even seemed to sparkle in the light. 

They were nice, don’t get him wrong, and he was keen to experiment on some of the unknown plants, but the whole thing was just... odd. Why would Loki give these to him? And why would he give him a series of gifts _before_ Christmas?

It didn’t make sense.

But, well, it was the thought that counted right? Tony doted on his friends and maybe in Loki’s own weird, mage-way, he was doting on Tony.

The thought made Tony’s chest burst with warmth. Maybe he could find somewhere in the penthouse to put them? Maybe make a robot that could water them when he inevitably forgot?

“Make a list for me, J, of everything you need to do to keep plants like these alive, yeah?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Tony nodded. He also broke off a sprig of leaf, taking a breath of the fresh scent before heading over to make himself a coffee and grab his tablet. He didn’t notice that he continued to play with the leaf as he made his coffee and designed a plant-watering bot with one hand.

* * *

Loki returned that afternoon, but Tony didn’t notice or listen to JARVIS’ remarks; he was wrist deep in making his plant-watering bot, HERBET. He didn’t even leave the lab; he collapsed on the couch he kept down there, having managed to get only the basic functions of HERBERT working.

He would have gone straight back to working the following morning if JARVIS hadn’t informed him that not only was there another gift waiting for him in the penthouse, but that he _still_ hadn’t thanked Loki for everything he’d received so far.

JARVIS also pointed out that as it was the 24th of December and he would be required to socialise in less than twenty-four hours, an inventing bender wasn’t advised.

Mournfully, he’d had to leave HERBERT but he went directly up to the penthouse to see what Loki had given him. This one was wrapped, but unlike the first it was done in brown paper and string. 

Tony unlaced the string only to reveal a green silk cloth. Tony blinked but reached down and pulled it out. The cloth was incredibly soft to the touch, it had hand stitched Norse Runes as well as sigils Tony recognised from Loki’s spell books.

Tony was pretty sure he could see Loki’s name stitched in there. He could also see _his_ name written in Asgardian the way Loki had shown him a year ago. 

This felt... personal, more than any of the other gifts. It looked like something you’d lay over an alter, or even over a coffee table.

Tony glanced at the coffee table which still had the herbs on it. Tony could imagine the silk covering it with the cauldron, candles and plants on top. It would look nice. Sure, it wasn’t really his thing. It would actually look like it belonged in Loki’s rooms-

“ _Oh_ ,” Tony stared at the silk as it suddenly clicked. Tony licked his lips. “JARVIS, what, uh, time is the Asgardian not-Christmas?”

“I believe you mean the holiday similar to Yule, Sir?”

“Yeah, that.”

“It begins on the 21st of December and continues until the 1st of January.”

Tony continued to stare at his and Loki’s name, stitched onto Asgardian silk. “Thor said it’s common to court people during that time, didn’t he?”

There was a moment’s pause before JARVIS answered, “Yes, Sir.”

And that was what Loki was doing, wasn’t he? The gifts, they were given to Tony, but there was also a more subtle offering. Asgardians courted by saying; _this is who I am and what I can offer you_. Loki was showing Tony what he could give as a perspective suitor.

And for every day that Tony has said nothing, Loki had needed to up the stakes.

Asgardian courtships ran for two weeks and during that time the courted could say no at any time and put a stop to it, or they could say yes, and then the gifts would cease, but the two would become a couple.

The longer the courted said nothing, the longer the courtship lasted; the stakes rising with each day as the suitor had to find new things to offer, while waiting to see if they would be found worthy.

It made Tony's guilt increase over putting off seeing Loki for so long. It also made him think about what he was going to do and say to the mage.

Bruce had been the one to ask Loki and Thor about Asgardian etiquette ages ago, Tony had tuned in because he was curious and he was damn grateful he’d done that now.

Loki was asking to date him and while Tony was surprised, he wasn’t opposed, in fact, he was flattered and eager to respond.

He just had to do it _right_.

To start with, Tony put down the silk cloth and headed to have a bath. He skimmed over the essential oils before finding the one that smelled like pine and something crisp like snow. It smelt a little like _Loki_ and it was why Tony had a bath using it.

He stayed in the tub for a good thirty minutes, giving the scent enough time to cling to his skin. He then styled his hair, trimmed his goatee and pulled on one of his nicer suits. Tony then made a cup of tea, throwing in a few mint leaves for good measure.

He grabbed the silk cloth and threw it over his shoulders like a shawl on the way out of the penthouse. He was careful not to spill the tea as he reached the elevator. “Loki’s floor.”

JARVIS obeyed without question and they descended down to the mage’s rooms. Tony was sure he looked ridiculous, but he hoped Loki wasn’t going to mind. After all, he was doing the best he had with limited resources.

When the doors of the elevator opened, Tony made his way to Loki’s door. He swallowed and cleared his throat before knocking. It took only a few seconds for Loki to pull it open. His face was wary, but the moment his eyes fell on the shawl and the cup of tea, his eyes widened.

“Uh, hi,” Tony started, giving a nervous smile. “Um, Happy Yule. Also, I accept your, uh, courtship.” 

He held out the tea and hoped it would be enough. A courtship like this meant he had to offer something back. Tea with a couple of herb sprigs was a good start when he was fumbling his way through an alien culture's customs. It seemed to work as Tony watched Loki’s smile form and spread until it was taking over his face. He reached out and took the tea, holding it close to his chest. 

Loki’s eyes were bright with warmth and happiness, and when he leant forward, Tony tilted his head to make it easier. Loki brushed their mouths together in a chaste kiss

“Happy Yule, Anthony,” Loki whispered when he pulled back. He then paused, his smile growing until his eyes crinkled with it. “Or perhaps, I should say 'my courted'.”

“I’d be okay with that,” Tony told him, feeling his stomach squirm pleasantly.

Loki continued to grin even as he stepped back into his room and invited Tony inside with a gesture. Tony didn’t hesitate to follow.

He couldn’t wait to see what would happen next in their courtship.

**Author's Note:**

> I basically made up Asgardian rituals and used some "yule gift ideas" to choose what Loki gave. *shrugs* WHATEVER. IT'S FLUFFY. SHUSH AND DEAL WITH IT XP


End file.
